Venus fly trap in Vivs with Dart Frogs ?

[Hugaux]

Just wanting to know the suitability of planting some Venus fly traps in my vivarium. They like the same general conditions that the frogs. They will also help control the fruit flys if I get too many of them in my tank. I haven't heard or seen anyone using them for their set up. Is this a good or bad idea?

[mack]

it might be possible, but there are a few challenges.

the first thing would be to plant them where the frogs won't mess with them. each leaf can only close a couple of times before dying, so if the frogs are bumping them and triggering the traps, they won't be able to grow new ones fast enough to keep up and the plant will die.

the second issue is that VFTs need a cool winter dormancy. you could leave them in pots buried in the substrate, then pull them out no later than thanksgiving and throw them in the fridge (in a sealed plastic bag with the soil moist but not dripping). take them out and put them back in the tank no earlier than valentines day.

make sure they get lots of light, and be extra careful with dusting powders getting into the substrate, as they cannot handle the calcium.

[Hugaux]

In other words a pain in the @#%. Ill just keep the VFTs in a separate container and feed them the left over fruit flies. 8)

[stevespo]

good question . i was wondering the same.

[MELLOWROO421]

Have any of you guys seen these?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymnLpQNyI6g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtQfZI6P ... re=related

I would advise against VFT's in your frog tanks for lots of reasons, dead frogs only being one of them.

[herplover22]

oh no that would be aweful to come home to

i have always heard they should not be used as well and now i can definatly see why

[Todd S.]

Venus flytraps are actually from North America and are a bad viv candidate.
Better to just start a bog bowl or bog garden outside and grow them


Todd

[dustin]

Have any of you guys seen these?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymnLpQNyI6g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtQfZI6P ... re=related

I would advise against VFT's in your frog tanks for lots of reasons, dead frogs only being one of them.

haha the first vid came to my mind immediately,

i would also back what mack said. grow them outside of a vivarium terrarium, being a fellow cp grower, vfts are temperate and even if you grow them in a terrarium, you would be limiting their potential. most like full sun and easily grow in low to moderate humidity.

bringing a post back from the past

[dustin]

If you would like to put a cp in your vivarium i'd suggest maybe an utricularia, nepenthes with small pitchers, or another tropical species that might fair better than a temperate. Most tropicals also would be tolerant of light fertilizer via frog droppings haha. as i've often heard some growers lightly fertilize their tropical cps

[FrogGirl]

Oh, I had no idea that fly traps could only close a certain amount of times before dying! Learn something everyday I guess. They would be pretty cool to have in a vivarium with some frogs. I'd love to have a small pitcher plant or something in there too. : )

[Todd S.]

Yeah... not a good idea. Also a note on the pitcher plants. Sarracenia are also North American and need a cold dormant period.
I grow Sarracenia purpurea outdoors all year round.

Nepenthes are a tropical pitcher plant and are actually Asian. So our frogs dont live near them. With that in mind I feel that it is risky putting those in with frogs who have not evolved a natural defense against them.

Todd